Chicken Soup payback
by indianpipe
Summary: Ben attempts to show Leslie he is more than just a numbers guy and Leslie gets a chance to return a favor. Christmastime fic.


AN: This is out of sequence maybe but it is post Flu-season and it is Christmas time. Ben tries to prove himself to Leslie and Leslie returns a favor.

Andy rushed into Leslie's office, full Santa suit, to tight in through the chest and pants floating precariously around the waist. Leslie's head popped up from her events budget and a smile edged up the corners of her lips.

"Andy, why are you wearing Gerry's suit?, she asked.

"Didn't you hear? Gerry can't be Santa, he left...went home sick, he said he came in and told you." Andy was now looking confused, and tugged at his pants to keep them on the north side of the equator.

"Oh..yeah, Gerry did come in and say something...didn't realize he was sick, huh." Leslie frowned now upset with herself that she hadn't even heard Gerry, and a little mortified she hadn't even realized Gerry didn't feel well. The events budget for the year was due and frankly Ben and Chris had been riding her to slash many of her favorite Pawnee events, citing lack of funds to clean up or rent equipment.

"What was wrong with Gerry anyway?" Leslie wondered.

"He looked all sweaty and was talking real quiet and weird...well I guess not that much different than usual , and he was like, 'Andy you have to be Santa this year!' and handed me the suit."

Leslie was up and rummaging through her closet while Andy was talking and found a pillow. "Well, Andy if you're going to be Santa we need to give you a makeover cause right now you look a little deranged."Leslie laughed and stuffed the pillow in Andy's pants and adjusted the waist. At that moment Ben Wyat walked in,

"Well that's one way to tighten your belt Knope." Ben smiled sardonically and watched for Leslie's reaction."

Leslie's eyes flashed in challenge, "Yes well...Santa is non-negotiable...at least I hope." her retort was a mixture of fun but regret, she had to make the hard choice of cutting the Maple Syrup sugar off this year and it was one of her favorites.

Ben caught her full meaning and was quiet for a few seconds. Leslie stepped back from Andy, his waist now bulging in a weird obscene manor, his hat askew and black boots untied. She looked over to Ben and they both started to laugh.

"Ben put his briefcase down on Leslie's desk and came over to help. , "I'm afraid we may get arrested if he shows up at the lighting ceremony tonight." Ben pulled out the pillow and motioned for Leslie to grab some batting she had on her bench, leftovers from a quilt she was working on.

"I didn't think you even knew about the lighting ceremony tonight, It's a Pawnee tradition going back to the 1700's, they lit the tree with candles." Leslie added while balling up batting, taking Ben's cue for appropriate stuffing for Santa.

"Of course I know about the ceremony." Ben replied.

Andy's Santa was looking less derelict by the minute but Leslie did not seem pleased.

"Oh ...well I guess I did go on and on about it this morning..how could you not know..right."

Ben hadn't meant that at all really and her assumption stung him somewhat.

"Well everyone is talking about it actually...seems like a nice town tradition, I was thinking of maybe hanging out and going tonight?" Ben had stooped down and was tucking Andy's red velvet Santa pants into his enormous shiny black boots and tying them.

Leslie smiled at the sight of him kneeling down to tie Andy's shoes , as if he was a big weird Santa second grader but also because he seemed to genuinely like the idea of the lighting ceremony.

April walked in, looked down at Ben, "Are you like a Santa Daddy?" Andy started to laugh at this and it came out like a jovial old St. Nick.

Leslie and Ben both said in unison, "Done."

"Now Andy, remember one present per child." Leslie put on her sternest face.

Andy nodded in the affirmative.

Andy and April went off to get the big sack of presents over near Gerry's work station.

Ben picked up his briefcase and looked up into Leslie's eyes, he tilted his head in concern, "How is the budget going?"

"Slow!" Leslie's expression went sad.

Ben hoisted his case under his arm, "Would you like me to help you with the numbers...maybe another pair of eyes might find ...maybe some unobvious funds." Ben offered some help guessing by Leslie's jabs that she was having to slash some much loved Pawnee events.

Ben turned from Leslie and coughed into his elbow, while waiting for her answer.

" I'm going to keep working alone but maybe before Chris has the final draft we could look through it together?" Leslie took a chance, Ben sounded sincere, but she was worried he may actually end up slashing more events than she even thought necessary, but maybe he would find a way to save some... she just couldn't be sure.

"Sounds reasonable, let me know whenever you're ready." Ben headed out toward his office, hoping that in some small way he was showing Leslie that he wasn't just all about the bottom line but that he cared about the town. He put down his bag and thought that maybe showing up at the tree lighting would send a message as well. Ben settled in for going over another departments accounts but no sooner did he turn on his computer than he had to go get some tea, the scratchiness in his throat that had started this morning in bed was tickling him to no end. He headed to the kitchen area. feeling a little light headed on the way out.

Ron was in the kitchen making coffee when Ben came in for some tea.

"Ah Ron, are you heading to the tree lighting ceremony tonight." Ben attempted some conversation with the director of Parks and Recreation.

"I suppose, I have constructed a new manger from cedar and cherry wood. Leslie expects me there for the unveiling." Ron poured out his coffee without looking up to Ben.

"Well that was generous of you to make a new manger, that's a lot of work." Ben reasoned, grabbing some tissues and catching a big sneeze."

"Not generous son...survival skills. Leslie assaulted me with requests everyday since one of her rather chubby citizens decided to sit in the crèche with a large sweetums cola in hand and broke and flattened it." Ron shook his head from the memory.

Ben laughed a bit, "Yes, Leslie seems as though she can be very persuasive." Ben bobbed his tea bag slowly.

Ron nodded his head with eyes closed, "She is a force...and that can be very annoying...but her reasons are, I think, very pure." Ron walked out, not feeling the need to see Ben's reaction.

Ben took up his tea cup to warm himself, feeling chilled and more than a little tired, it had been a long exhausting process getting this town on track financially, but he had to agree with Ron, Leslie may be persistent, opinionated and sometimes a bit annoying, she was always trying to better Pawnee and its citizens and in today's world that seems so rare and also very special. Ben headed back to his office for another long day of accounting.

end of chapter 1...reviews are always welcome.


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